"We'll make it work so this time," said Baxter, stoutly. "It's no use to refuse to do duty, and make a milk-and-water mess of it. When we do something, we'll strike a blow that shall be felt."
"How are you going to do it?" asked Bilger, who was one of the timid ones.
"We haven't decided that question yet; but where there's a will there's a way. In the first place, we must stick together," replied Baxter. "We will make a plan, and then we will put it through."
"Suppose we take the vessel; what can we do with it? We haven't a navigator among us," suggested Walker.
"I can take an observation, and work up the reckoning," I replied.
"You!" exclaimed the doubter.
"I can. I have studied navigation, and I can lay down the position of the bark on the chart every day that the sun shines."
"Good! York is a good sailor. In fact we have all the able and ordinary seamen with us but the five Spaniards and Portuguese," said Baxter.
"But how shall we take the bark?"
"We'll watch our time, and strike when it comes. You have done some fighting in your day, Phil; what do you say?"